I like how Surgeon described his way. He jams out a performance in the studio but does not record the drums. Once he has it recorded how he likes it he goes back and builds the drums around the rest of the music. He did not specify where a DAW may or may not play any part but obviously one could take this approach with or without the computer. I’m sure I’ll have to give it a try at some point.
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There we go.
DAW / DAWless whatever. Go with what’s most fun or satisfying.
One time I met and got to collaborate with a local musician. I was super excited. He’s done work on video games and several of his own productions.
All I had to do was add a bass line to an almost completed track.
This was also really my first time doing anything like this in a DAW. I spent weeks getting a sound and rhythm down I liked and had it all lined up. Sent it to the guy for him to make his final mix.
Once the song released my bass is a whole bar early. 
I just want to play stuff live, with or for people.
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This thread really made me want to go the straight-to-stereo, or just synths and drums separated into two stereo channels…
I would say I’m somewhat prolific when it comes with coming up with beats and new music, but I suck at actually producing stuff… mainly because I like the spontaneity of coming up with something new, but when I multitrack I (sometimes) end up moving on to something new before I reach a state where I feel like I’m ready to release it.
Doesn’t have to be a definitive stance, but it might help me get some more music released in the short term.
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Go for it.
Think about all the boom bap that gets resampled again and again , summed over and over, never tracked out. The commitment is felt in the mind by the producer and heard by the listener.
Synths and drums separately is a nice middle ground, allows for some sidechaining. Best of both worlds, really.
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I tried to use a DAW for multitracking but it’s too much of a hassle for me. I love to do the mixing right in the hardware. My first few tracks weren’t perfect in terms of mixing but recently, after about 50 tracks or so, I feel like I’m starting to get the hang of it. It’s the transitions that aren’t so easy to pull off but you can do a lot with the Elektron boxes and no casual listener will ever miss a thing.
I often think about switching to a DAW because it will eventually open up new possibilities. But then again I also need restrictions in order to get going. I love to explore new ideas and I don’t really care for the perfect product anymore. I’m happy if I got a live recording 95% where I wanted it but if that’s not the case, I’ll just move over to another project and that’s it.
The more I create, the better I’ll get. And this really plain philosophy is just the right thing for me, there aren’t any shortcuts to getting better at creating things.
This is my biggest in working with other people 
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Two track over here. I’m not a mix engineer. I don’t know any mix engineers.
I just make music for fun.
Tried the multitrack thing for a while and it was just distracting
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So… I am in the opposite side. I never jam, and I never record straight to stereo. Because it would be too much of a hassle for me to do it that way. Plus, I find it more practical to compose in my daw, while I am mixing, because new ideas comes there for me. Sure it takes time, and the whole mixing process can be very long. But after a while my mixing skills developed and the latest tracks I mixed sounded good after just a couple of sessions. I also really like the mixing process, there is a sort of magic underneath this kind of art that I like to explore further. One thing I want to try next is to compose directly using the A4 song mode, then multitrack it as a live take using the performance mode. Then mix the hell out of it in my daw. 
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here’s a quick stereo jam I just recorded, thought of sharing it 
Micromonsta 2 > Digitakt > Octatrack (only using a scene at the start and the end) > Analog Heat (mild adjustment) > Ableton (a bit of compression, eq, limiting)
Nothing fancy, and I think the MM2 ended up too loud, it’s the textured sound that appears early on… I’ll record it on it’s own stereo channel next time.
Any feedback is more thank welcome! 
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Why don’t you just approach it like a job, in that first you create, then you finalize before moving on to new stuff? Like make records, not tracks
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That’s a good question that I don’t necessarily have an answer for… I guess that it would help if I could be a bit more organized with my recording and processes…
I’m finishing moving my studio/work space from my small 1-bedroom apartment to a different space, hopefully that will help me focus on getting some work done (and finished).
Thanks for the input!
Have you ever released anything? Like thru a label, even just digital?
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Sounding good to me, I listened to the end. The textures didn’t sound too loud at all to me, if it was I’d have stopped listening
I find my stereo recordings always sound different after I’ve recorded them and don’t listen to them for a month…then I think, how did I do that bit, did I do this?!? Occasionally something gets a bit loud, but hey…who’s perfect.
Yes, although not much… only one EP (very old, 2017 IIRC) and a bunch of tracks on compilations… but I probably composed hundreds of tracks in the meantime.
I’ve released a lot more music under my own name - which is usually more on the experimental/ambient/noise side: www.gflichman.bandcamp.com
Thanks for the feedback!
Happens to me all the time… I hear something I recorded a long time ago and think “damn, I should work on this stuff”
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I don’t see the benefit, why not record all Signals in one go? If it’s great bounce it as is and you’re done but if it needs some work you still have the possibility to work on it.
Multitracking takes time too. As several above have said, it’s a wash, you do that while you practice before recording.
when I record tracks to release, I record the stereo output after gainstaging and balancing the levels of all of the tracks so everything sounds like it sits well together pre-ITB-Mixing (super super important)
I tend to track my grooveboxes through a hardware DBX comp, 1:8:1 ratio Slow att/rls with overeasy and SC filter on, threshhold low enough to cross over into maximum ratio with the main kick hits (less than 2db of compression, usually just some levelling)
I also will do my level balancing with the compressor on and set where I want it (setting up a VU meter in your DAW and having all of your gear match up to 0 VU is my trick to keep this consistent)
the reason for this kind of convoluted routine is because I want to be able to perform the track live and have it sound solidly mixed, and to have my live sets sound sonically consistent to some degree. I tend to like the sound of parallel compression as well, and I’ll often set this up with my mixer and keep everything analog so that recording into the DAW everything syncs up and I don’t have to deal with setting that up in the DAW
Also do this live, but i’m still working out the kinks with that. Lately I’ve been using a 3630 with the gate clipped and a 10 band EQ pedal sent to the internal sidechain, basically just cutting the lows and the high highs to make the parallel comp clamp down on the midrange more, usually 4:1 with 9 db of compression, fastest attack and 75-150ms release, hard knee, good times
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typewriter was the word processor of the day back then.
there’s no right way to write, ofc, and I still use my pen daily myself mate.
first, the question came from a colleague who’s just starting out, right?
and I underlined just that in my reply: multitrack helps you more so when you begin.
secondly, multitracking is not necessarily about a hundred of separate lines. it’s about having one per instrument. and if you play live with other people (did underline that as well), you’re much better off having all their parts recorded separately. it’s mad to deny this
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you might’ve been more attentive before going for f-words and making fun of my (presumed) ignorance. and it’s fucking lazy of you to take two great examples of already highly established professionals, who can also afford to outsource both mixing and mastering.
I did note in my answer that we talk about learning here, and one can hardly correct mistakes w/o multitracking a performance
on a side note, music of old days was not recorded at all. then it was recorded to one track, still played live. then multiple takes and multiple tracks become available (not to many still).
it’s called progress. it makes things easier. it allows you to produce your songs.
and what you do here is point to the examples of some of the best of our colleagues who can pull it all off in one take — but still, presumably, have only a couple of songs/eps recorded like that, am I wrong again?